Why would an outdoor reviewer review Weathertech Floorliner Mats instead of more fishing or camping gear? Simple: MUD. In the outdoor world, everything gets wet and muddy pretty much year round.
I’m not sure what the lifespan of an OEM floor mat is but it’s definitely less than two years if you’re in the outdoors much at all. No magic elixir or shampoo machine can clean deep red mud out of carpet floor mats and the rubber/plastic ones you buy in the aftermarket stores never fit right or only cover about half of the needed coverage area. And don’t get me started on those cut to size craft projects that require shears and a slightly sadistic side to use.
After almost half a decade I decided to order some Weathertech Floorliner Mats for my Subaru Forester that I also use to haul my kayaks with. I checked out different online options and went with http://carparts.com for their Price Match Guarantee, 60 Day Returns, and Lifetime Replacement Guarantee.
Once I placed the order it was only a few days before I had the floor mats at my door. As anyone would, I immediately opened the Weathertech box and got busy installing. If I don’t include the vacuuming I did, the install of both front mats took less than 30 seconds and true to advertising fit with the precision I expected.
After a month of running around with the Weathertech Floorliner Mats installed, here are some thoughts.
Weathertech Floorliner Mats : The Good
As Weathertech advertises, the mats fit perfectly. You don’t have to guess what goes where or the install points as it is very obvious. If you do find yourself as one of the .02% of men or 50% of women who read instructions, the Weathertech mats have a QR code to scan for step by step details.
From a month of wear and tear, a quick blast of water (outside the vehicle) makes the mats look brand new again. The finish isn’t diminished and a wipe down with a rag puts them right back to new. This is what was really impressive!
Another thing that is different with these mats is they aren’t slick with wet shoes. Why is this important? If you move from spot to spot while kayaking, you’ll often need to drive with wet shoes to be quick. A slippery mat can cause problems moving back and forth between brake and accelerator pedals. It also is nice getting in and out of vehicles. The water draining off your shoes stays within the sidewalls of the Floorliners which you can dump out later. And since it’s not a carpet mat, no mildew!
Weathertech Floorliner Mats: Things to Consider
One of the mistakes you could potentially make in ordering these mats is with the model type. Because different car models may have different layouts, especially from year to year, you want a good identification fit system like CarParts.com has. The Forester in 2019 had five different models. If you don’t pay attention you might select the wrong one and the fit could be off as three of the 2019s had a gas tank release in the floor. Definitely check and double check your model so you get the exact fit.
Another thing to remember is the attachment points for your factory mats. These should NOT be removed before installing the Weathertech Floorliner Mats. The Weathertech are designed to attach to the factory hardware (usually snaps, loops, or hooks).
Final Thoughts
I wish I had ordered these five years ago. I am glad that I used CarParts.com though or I could have ended up with the wrong mats. That and and no returns or guarantees. Definitely would recommend a set for the outdoors loving folks.